Elementalism
Elementalism is one of the prominent faiths found in the southern reaches of Sirrion. It is the core belief system of Shaman magic, and as its name implies, is based around the reverence of the elements. Creation Myth "In the beginning, though there was no beginning since It has always been, there was the Endless, the Void, the Black. The Endless was nothing, and was neither good nor evil, for good must exist in opposition to evil and The Endless was alone. The Endless was aware of Its solitude and so put forth the Wind, which swirled around The Endless and caressed It like a lover, and so the Wind became the First of the First, the White Lady and the Companion to the Endless. The Endless loved the Wind, but longed for something It could look upon, so The Endless put forth stone and soil and created The Earth, the Second of The First, The Immovable Sentinel, and The Silent Companion. The Wind explored The Earth, racing over arid plains and lifeless deserts, and through sharp and twisting canyons. The Earth pleased The Endless, though nothing stirred and nothing grew, and The Endless desired more, so It put forth The Waters, which flowed over the mountains and across the plains, and filled valleys and everywhere it touched, green life sprang forth. In this way, The Waters became the Third of the First, The Fertile Mother and The Neglected Mistress. Seeing the wonders The Earth and The Waters had created, The Wind left the side of The Endless, spreading herself over soft, green fields and whispering through forests of leaves. The Endless saw this and grew jealous. Out of its jealousy sprang Fire, Last of The First, The Insatiable, The Crippled Lord, which burned the grasses and the leaves, boiled the waters and charred the stone. Seeing the destruction, The Wind attempted to assuage The Fire, though all her attempts only strengthened him. The Wind joined The Water, creating vast storms to quench The Fire, but the fury of The Fire quickly turned their efforts into scalding steam. The Endless saw what Its jealousy had wrought and despaired. It quickly bound The Fire, Wind, Waters and Earth to each other. Seeing what It had created, a fertile land in which Wind, Water, Earth and Fire co-existed, The Endless was pleased. On the fields It placed man and woman, and the beasts of the land, air and sea. The Endless then separated Itself from Its creation, allowing its children to carve their own paths. The Endless watches and waits, for It knows that death comes to all things, and when it does, the dead will be reunited with The Endless." The Endless Ba, in the Old Tongue, the Endless is the unifying force of all nature. It is both chaos and order, and the only completely neutral force. The First Wind, Valia, The White Lady, Companion to the Endless. Wind is most commonly associated as the guiding force of sailors. She is also muse to artists and poets. Earth, Dremen, The Immovable Guard, The Silent Companion. Earth is most commonly associated for all those who take their livelihood from the soil or the stone; farmers, miners and shepards. Many travelers will wear a small symbol of Dremen on their journeys for extra luck on the road. Water, Coliso, The Fertile Mother, The Neglected Mistress. Water is most commonly associated with birth and life, but also food and merriment. Surgeons, midwives, brewers and bakers all pay their homage to Coliso. Fire, Festan, The Crippled Lord, The Insatiable. Not surprisingly, Fire is most commonly associated with passion and fury. However, finances are also his domain. It is an oft repeated joke that both merchants and thieves look to Festan, and even he can't tell the difference. The Patrons Each of The First (Wind, Earth, Water and Fire) have a pantheon of Patrons beneath them. The Patrons are best described as guiding spirits, who Shamans and other practitioners rely on for intercession between themselves and the power of The First they serve. Patrons And Their Professions ''Wind Sriki'va- Cartographers Endo'va- Sailors Kala'va- Artists, musicians Ullah'va- Actors, entertainers Nasi'va- Unwed maidens Earth Pila'dre- Soujourners Hapta'dre- Soldiers Amal'dre- Farmers, shepards Yulah'dre- Miners Volum'dre- Stonemasons, undertakers Water Cama'co- Surgeons, barbers Lita'co- Brewers, vintners Gama'co- Fishermen Oga'co- Mothers, midwives Inca'co- Cooks, bakers Fire Mosa'fe- Merchants, moneylenders Bami'fe- Thieves Duru'fe- Blacksmiths, coopers Jaru'fe- Scholars, apothecaries Ridi'fe- Prisoners Worship Communing with a Patron is an extremely personal experience, and one most often performed in quiet meditation. Rarely do Shamans gather in groups, unless it is to combine their abilities to, for example, bless an altar or shrine. A Patron may appear in several forms to each individual Shaman, sometimes as an idealized being of grace and beauty, other times as a trusted friend or beloved family member from the Shaman's memory. The personality of the Patron may be as kind or as strict as the Shaman's mind allows. Generally, the more a Shaman communes with their Patron, the more personal the Patron's projected form becomes. The most common phyiscal form of worship is sacrficing relics, small objects with inherent spiritual power, to the Patrons. These can range from natural objects like crushed eggshell or bits of candlewax, to man-made items like coin or distilled spirits. What the Shaman chooses as an appropriate offer and what the Patron deems to accept can vary greatly from person to person. The rarer or more valuable the item being given freely is, the more powerful the energy is released from within. A seemingly worthless bauble may unleash a torrent of energy if it is sentimentally irreplaceable to the Shaman offering it. Similarly, the wealthy Shaman who sacrifices 10 gold may not recieve as much benefit from his act as the poor Shaman offering one of his last silver. Shamans must keep these relics safe in a Balai, a specially crafted and blessed bag. As with other aspects of Elementalism, the Balai is an intensely personal item, and is carefully guarded by the Shaman who carries it. 'Back To "Southern Sirrion"'''